Atlanta is reportedly set to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as its 17th franchise, marking a major milestone for both the city and the league.
The Athletic have reported that the NWSL has awarded an expansion team to Atlanta, solidifying years of speculation about when the city would officially join the growing professional women’s soccer landscape.
Atlanta NWSL franchise backed by Arthur Blank for £125m
The new NWSL team based in Atlanta will be owned by Arthur Blank’s AMB Sports and Entertainment, the same group behind the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United FC.
Both existing teams play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is expected to become the home venue for the NWSL franchise.
In a statement to ESPN, a spokesperson for AMB Sports and Entertainment said, “We have had productive engagement with NWSL and others in its stakeholder group on the possibility of bringing an expansion franchise to Atlanta. We have nothing to announce currently as those conversations are ongoing.”
While the league itself declined to comment, reports from The Athletic indicate that the expansion fee will be $165 million (£125m). That represents a sharp increase from the $110m (£83m) paid by Denver Summit FC less than a year ago.
The NWSL is already set to expand to 16 teams next year with the arrival of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC. Berman has also expressed that the league could eventually mirror the 32-team structure of the NFL in the future.
The 2025 season has reached the semi-final stage of the NWSL playoffs, which includes four players from England’s Lionesses.
A long-awaited market in the NWSL
Atlanta’s inclusion has been years in the making. For nearly a decade, discussions about the city’s potential entry into the NWSL have come and gone, with many describing it as a matter of “when, not if.”
Blank’s growing investment in soccer and his strong track record with Atlanta United helped make this expansion feel inevitable.
The city has a rich, if brief, history with women’s professional soccer. The Atlanta Beat competed in the Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001 to 2003, then returned in the Women’s Professional Soccer league from 2010 to 2011. During its second run, the team partnered with Kennesaw State University to build a dedicated stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
Atlanta’s credentials as a soccer city are hard to ignore. According to Nielsen data, it is the seventh-largest TV media market in the country. Atlanta United’s success in MLS has been extraordinary since its 2017 debut, winning a championship in 2018 and leading the league in attendance every year except during the pandemic. The club has consistently averaged more than 40,000 fans per game, setting a standard for soccer fandom in the United States.
Adding to the city’s growing soccer presence, U.S. Soccer will move its national headquarters to Atlanta next year, supported by a $50 million donation from Arthur Blank.
When could Atlanta join the NWSL?
The Athletic have reported that Atlanta could join the NWSL after the 2026 season. Team name, crest, and colors will be unveiled at a later date.
Two years ago, Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosted the SheBelieves Cup in front of over 50,000 fans. Before the match, U.S. women’s national team player Sam Coffey told reporters that Atlanta would be a great place to bring an NWSL team.
“I think it would be a great market for one with Atlanta United here and now with U.S. Soccer starting to plant some roots here,” she told reporters ahead of the USWNT’s clash against Japan in April 2024. “I think it could do really well here.”
